THE STARLING. 35 



than adult male. Metallic colours not so brilliant, and in second- 

 aries and greater coverts much less in extent. 



Nestling. Down, greyish-white, a shade darker on head, 

 fairly long and plentiful ; distribution, inner supra-orbital, 

 occipital, humeral, spinal, ulnar, femoral, and ventral. Mouth, 

 inside orange, no spots ; flanges broad and lemon-yellow (C. B. 

 Ticehurst, Brit. B., n, p. 194). 



Juvenile. Male and female. All upper-parts dark mouse-brown ; 

 chin and centre of throat whitish, necked brown ; breast and flanks 

 brown ; belly brown, streaked greyish-white ; axillaries pale brown ; 

 under and upper tail -co verts brown, with slight edgings and tips 

 of buff ; tail-feathers dark brown narrowly margined buff ; 

 primaries same ; secondaries, primary-coverts, and greater coverts 

 with broader buff edgings. N.B. Juvenile specimens from Shetland 

 appear to be very dark. 



First winter. Male and female. Like adults but body-feathers 

 broader and less pointed, and buff and white tips 

 larger and rounder, giving very spotted appear- 

 ance in whiter (when freshly-moulted chin appears 

 uniform white and fore-head buff). The juvenile 

 plumage is completely (including wings and tail) 

 moulted in July-Sept. First summer. Spots wear 

 off considerably, but not so much as in adults, 

 and metallic colours are less brilliant and second- 

 aries and greater coverts have less gloss than in 



A ,, Feathers from lower- 



adults, throat of c? adult 



Measurements and structure. $ wing 125-132, (right-hand) and <J 

 tail 64-68, tarsus 28-30, bill from nostril 17-20, tot winter (left- 

 bill width at nostril 7-8 (12 measured). ? whig 

 122-127. Primaries : 1st small and pointed, 

 7-11 mm. longer than under wing-coverts, 2nd and 3rd about 

 equal and longest, rest becoming shorter in steps of 4-10 mm. ; 

 2nd and 3rd emarginated outer webs. Secondaries about equal 

 10th primary. Tail fairly square, slightly rounded laterally. 



Soft parts. Bill in winter brown with base of under mandible 

 dull yellow, hi summer (beginning change January) lemon-yellow ; 

 legs and feet reddish-brown ; iris, male dark brown, female same 

 but with narrow yellowish- white outer ring, young grey-brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. 8. v. faroensis (Faeroes) is larger 

 and darker (especially in juvenile-plumage), 8. v. granti (Azores) 

 has very small first primary, 8. v. poltaratskyi (Siberia, southwards 

 in whiter) has purple head and throat and green mantle, 8. v. 

 purpurascens (Asia Minor to north-west India) has green head and 

 throat, purple mantle and breast, and very dark axillaries, 8. v. 

 grcecus and 8. v. balcanictis (south-east Europe) are much like 

 last ; many other forms differing in distribution of metallic colours 

 and in size. 



D 2 



